All for you, boys | Auckland Lifestyle News | Health, Fashion, Food and Wine in Auckland

Guys and Dolls was a huge hit. The makers of Songs for Guy hope it, too, will strike a chord with audiences, writes Sharu Delilkan.

When Kip Chapman, the writer and director of Songs for Guy asked Paul Barrett to be the show's musical director he said yes immediately.

Fresh from his own sleeper hit, Tic-Tic, Barrett is  still tingling from his personal coming out at the NZ International Comedy Festival. "I love to work. Work is my vacation, it's not a job," says Barrett.

While he played the piano in Tic-Tic, Barrett says he rarely gets the opportunity to play it professionally. "It gives the show an instant intimacy, which I really love. I also love being on stage all the time and the rapport with the audience."

Cabaret-style Songs for Guy is devoted to interpreting popular love songs in a way that will appeal to gay male audiences. This is a sector of society that says it is overlooked almost entirely by popular music's adherence to boy-girl romance.

Coming out loud and proud, Songs for Guy sets out to show classic songs from stage, screen and popular culture are just as appropriate to gay men across the country.

The show combines real-life anecdotes, based on extensive research done within the gay community, with songs by greats like Billy Joel, Dave Dobbyn and George Gershwin as well as songs from musical hits like South Pacific and Chess.

Singing the songs while Barrett plays piano will be Todd Emerson, Andrew Laing and Stephen Butterworth.

Says Chapman: "We didn't want to focus on coming out and gay rights, which are very relevant. Instead, we want to move past that for just one night and create a show where we just pretend that the fight is over and the battle's been won."

Songs for Guy, Limelight Lounge, Aotea Centre, Sept 7-11. Times vary. Tickets: ph 357 3355 or see www.the-edge.co.nz